When inmates demand excessive hospital visits for minor complaints, we all pay.

Malingering - defined as fabricating or exaggerating the symptoms of a mental or physical disorder for a variety of motives - is a serious problem in this country. For those behind bars, those motives often include getting a break from a jail cell or running up health care bills to a government-funded facility just because they can.

Although this word is easy to define, proving an inmate is malingering and handling the problem is a more difficult matter. The Calhoun County Jail is currently facing this type problem and seeking cost efficient ways to deal with it.

Steve Mears, Jr., 38, of Blountstown, was booked into the Calhoun County Jail Feb. 22 after violating a conditional release order on a January domestic violence case. He is being held without bond. Since the day he was booked into the jail, Mears has repeatedly demanded to be taken to the hospital - to the tune of 10 times in three weeks, a number the facility says is definitely excessive.

Does Mears have legitimate health issues? Possibly. Those matters are kept confidential due to health privacy laws. However, his behavior leading up to hospital trips raises concerns about possible malingering.

For instance, a jail officer was making his rounds the morning of Feb. 27 and turned on a television for the inmates in a cell block. Shortly after, Mears allegedly began hitting the cell door. When the jailer checked to see what was wrong, Mears began cursing him, angry about the channel he selected. The officer explained the other inmates wanted to watch the show he chose.

When Mears persisted to curse the officer, he was moved to a different cell. For an hour, Mears reportedly hit the door to his new cell. The jailer checked on him again and Mears allegedly smiled and told him he was going to make his “day a long one.”

Mears then announced, “I declare a medical emergency.” When asked by the officer the nature of his emergency, Mears reportedly paused, then remarked that his head hurt and his blood pressure was up.

A short time later, after seeking guidance on how to handle the situation from a supervisor, the officer began passing out meal trays. When he reached Mears’ cell, he was reportedly laying on the floor against the door, complaining of a headache. He was taken to Calhoun-Liberty Hospital by EMS.

Regular trips to the ER have continued and on March 9, he actually went twice in one day after another verbal round with an officer and hitting the window of his jail pod. Last week, three days in a row the jail had to take Mears for medical treatment. Monday afternoon, Mears demanded yet again to be taken to the ER.

According to jail records, not once has Mears been admitted to the hospital, raising the question of whether he had a legitimate emergency or could have waited to see the health department’s nurse practictioner during regular health care visits to the facility.

Not only are direct medical costs involved, but indirect expenses include pulling from a small staff which can result in overtime on the payroll, all to focus on one inmate. Each time an inmate declares a medical emergency, jailers must stop what they are doing to deal with the matter. A transport deputy has to leave other duties to drive the inmate to the hospital, then the inmate must have a deputy with him at all times during the emergency room visit. In addition to this strain on manpower, the bill for inmate care is sent to the county. In Mears’ case, after 10 visits to the emergency room in just three weeks, costs are mounting.

Sheriff Glenn Kimbrel says his hands are tied at the moment.

“Any inmate can declare a medical emergency,” the sheriff remarks. “When they declare that, we have to take them to see a doctor. We don’t have an in-house doctor. We have a good relationship with the health department and they come in and check inmates regularly, but if an inmate declares a medical emergency, we have to transport them to the emergency room.”

With budget constraints, Sheriff Kimbrel says his staff is currently looking for ways to address the health care costs at the facility. “We’re in the middle of trying to negotiate a new contract with different entities to deal with the situation at the county jail. We’re a small county and have limited funds, but we have to meet the criteria for a standard jail model. Those people are in our care and we’re responsible.”

My husband is in a county jail in wayne county yes he has done wrong in his life . But he is trying to get all cases taken care of . he is elderly and has major pain in his stomach ,legs and other areas around the lower half . He put in for the Dr. and he stands away from him and does not really look at the pained and swallon area . Along with bieng discolored . He is in real pain and can't be treated like a human he just sends him back to the cell . The dr also there hardly speaks english not sure he is that good at understanding it . He the dr . took him almost half the meds he needs for high blood pressure and for insulin that was changed from what he was on he has not had his blood or sugar down near normal since being take to there from ohio . So yes ones like the guy above is playing the guards my husband is not and should not be treated like it is in his mind . They only look for oozing bleeding wound not dicoloration and swelling in the lower part of a 60 year old male >

Only a medical professional should be able to declare a medical emergency. Inmates with complaints should be seen by an on-site nurse/dr/practioner (whichever) who can assess them for trauma and if nothing serious is discovered, then they have to wait for regular checkups and treatment. It should go without saying that any inmate that has made repeated calls for a doctor where nothing has been found, that any nonspecific and nonvisible symptoms must be considered non-urgent until proven otherwise.

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